Waste can



pril l5, 19.30. w. RAsTER WA S TE CAN Filed Nov. 3, 1927 Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATNT FFCE WALTHER RASTLR,` OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, TO J USTRITE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS WASTE CAN Application led November 3, 1927. Serial No. 230,723.

This invention relates to improvements in receptacles and more particularly to receptacles of the type termed waste-cans equipped with covers, the main object of the present invention being to provide a hinged cover forsuch a can and pedal operated mechanism for effecting opening of the cover which is adapted for great ease of operation besides presenting other advantages which are hereinafter specifically pointed out. a

The preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein z- Figure l is a perspective view of a waste- 15 can constructed in accordance with the invention. j

Figures 2 and 3 are side elevations of the same showing the cover in closed and open `positions respectively and the operating mechanism in correspondingrespective positions. j

Waste-cans of the type to which the invention relates are particularly designed and adapted for factory use to receive oily waste and the like which is subject to spontaneous combustion. Such cans are required to b e very substantially built to withstand both heat and rough usage and mustbe equipped with self closing lids. `For convenience'of users, such cans have long been equipped with pedal operated mechanism for throwing the cover to open position and there holding while waste is thrown into the same but such operating mechanism has heretofore, so far as I am informed, been so applied as to place undue strains upon the hinge connection be` tween the cover and the can and to present undue resistance to initial movement so that the operation has been very jerky 'andhas' Vsubjected the operating mechanism and hinge to such shocks as tended to not only rupture the hinge but also to distort the operating levers.

Cans of this type are subject to sharp competition to meet which. it is required that the greatest degree of durability be obtainedat the smallest expense for labor and material in manufacture. erations obviate practical possibility of securing greater durability by using heavier These commercial consid-4 materials involving correspondingly greater labor and material costs.

The present invention consists, therefore, in such a rearrangement or novel relative arrangement of old elements of a combination as will produce a novel and better result, both as to ease of operation and increased durability with the same or cheaper grades of materials as have been heretofore employed, some changes in specific shape of the elements of the combinationbeing made to promote the better results mentioned.

Referring now to the drawings, the can or receptacle l, is provided with a cover 2 secured by means of hinge 3 to the top of the receptacle, the cover 2 in the instance illustrated having a straight rear edge to join the straight front edge of the partial cover plate 4C of the receptacle.

Secured to the cover 2 adjacent its hinged edge, is a strap 5 of relatively heavy metal, the end portions of said strap being bent to extend downwardly at an incline toward the rear of the can body to provide arms 6. Each of the latter is provided with an outwardly ext-ending projection 7 adjacent its free end, saidpiojection being cylindrical and having a flat elongated head 8 of a: width equal to the diameter of the projection, said head S extending substantially transversely of the arm 6. j

At diainetrically opposite sides of the can body and at the bottom o f the latter, I provide pins or stud-shafts 9 each of which is provided with an opening to receive a cotterpin lO. These pins or stud-shafts 9 are adapted to extend through openings in the eibow portions of the arms ll of the lever l2, the middle portion of whichis curved to eX- tend around and clear the front of the can body, said curved middle portion being providedwith the offset 13 to constitute a pedal formation which also coacts with the shoulder la on the front supportingleg 15 of the receptacle to limit the pivotal movement of the lever l2 in one direction.

The free end portions of the arms ll are f the stud-shafts 9 and disposed in a position to permit such passage, the shanks oi' said projections engaging the side walls of said slots 16. The latter are substantially so positioned that a plane parallel `with and disposed midway between the side walls of said slots will intersect the common axis of the stud-shafts 9. The purpose of this speciiic arrangement of the slots 16 and the common axis of the projections7 with respect to the pivotal axis o'f the hinge Sfis so that the arc 17 described by said projections 7 during primary opening movement of the cove'r 2 through an arc of about forty-five degrees will i ce mainly from the point ot' intersection of said are 17 with the are 18 which intersects those points in the walls of Ithe slots 16vin contact With the projections 7 when the cover is closed, to the point 19. at which said arcs t7 and 18 again intersect each other. It will be noted that a straight line intersecting-these points of intersection of the arcs 17 and 18 will extend at almost a right angle to the arms 11 of the lever 12 and is approximately lxorizontalfso thatthe minimum application of force exerted uponthe tread portion of said lever will be required to overcome the inertia and resistance of the cover to effect opening of the latter; It will-also be noted that the relative arrangement ofthe arms 6 and 11 is such thatthe movementfof the projections 7 longitudinally of the slots 16 be-1 tween the oints of intersection of `the arcs 17 and 18 1s very slight and, therefore, in-l volves the minimum of frictional resistance. F ollowin initial'openingr movement of the cover 2, e latter acquires such momentum as renders completion of the said movement very easy and substantially non-resistant.

It Will be noted that 'the arms 11 of lever 12 are very long because of the factthat the stud-shafts 9are disposed at the receptacle bottom, their disposition at this point being advantageous by reason of the lateral strength of the receptacle at-thispointwhich.

is not subject to indentation and distortion as is the can body. This greater `length of arms 1'1 than is common in-this class of receptacles, renders said arm more liable to dis tortion than is the case with shorter arms so that, unless the ease of operation ofthe cover, as above pointed out, is provided for, said arms would require the use of heavier and more expensive stock.` The specific arrangement shown` and described permits of the use of as light metal as is-eustomarilyy used in receptacles of this general type' Contact-ofthe pedal formation '13 with the leg 14 serves to limit the openingmovement' of the cover but further provision is made for such limitationin having the slots 16 of the arms 11 arranged to cause the projections 7 to contact with lthe upper ends of said slots at the moment of contactof the4 pedal formation 13 with the leg 14 said=contact being,

however, not absolutely dependable because of frequent distortion of the leg 14 in rough handling of the receptacle.

Closure of the cover 2 is very essential because of the fact that the can is very apt to contain oily water subject to spontaneous combustion. Hence, in theevent oi breakage of the operating parts, the cover may have to be manually operated and, to prevent the cover 2 from being tippedback toa nonse'lfclosingfp'ostion, a-stopformation such as the member 20 is provided.

lt will be observed that the shoulder portion 14 of the front leg is so disposed relatively to the opposed'portion 13 of the lever as to Alimit the movement of the latter to an are which isalmost vertical so that the movement of thisportionl is so nearly lvertically downward as to obviate the exercise oi force thereon at such an angle as would tend to slidethe receptacle bodilyalong the ioor. It will also be noted that the stop member 20 of the cover is so shaped and mounted as to contact with the rigid top portion of the receptacle at the instant that the portion lof'the bail contacts with .the shoulder 14 ofthe frontleg.

This specific arrangement accomplishes several functions which are very importantto the life'of'the recelptacle in that the two stops coact to prevent t e pressure on the lever to be exerted to place undue strain on the cover and hinge as is the case where the coverstop is alone relied upon to limit the movement of the lever, and, on the other hand, prevents strain on the hinge due to the tendone),v ofthe cover to Hy back beyond the limit-ei1 its opening movement as is the case where the movement ofthe lever islimitedand the opening movementof the cover limited only by the limitation placed upon the swing oi the lever. It is well-knownthat no care is exercised by usersof this type of receptacle to'eifect slow swing of the operating parts but that, on'the contrary, it is quite customary for them to exertmore than vthe necessaryforce on the leverand thus cause the coverto fly open at a speed which, when suddenly checked otherwisethan by coaction of thetwo stop means herein disclosed, places such strains and stresses, more particularly on the cover-hinge, asvcauses the latter to quickly give Way and break or causes the cover itself to crack.

A further function of this arrangement lies in Arelieving the lever and :its pivotal supports of strains and stresses which tend to distort and break the same or sai-d supports in all instances where-the pressure ofthe foot may continuefto be exerted on the lever. after the cover has attained the limit of its-openingrmovement. The lever isobviously weakest at its pivotalportion and is usually subjectedto breaking stresses vby footppressure in all `instances where its vswing Vis limited only by limitation of the opening movement of the cover. By limiting this movement of the lever by means of a rigid stop formation, the elbow portion or other pivot portion suffers no excess strains or stresses nor are the lugs or stud-shafts on which the same is carried subjected to excessive strains or stresses. The latter are also definitely reduced by the specific relation of the arcs of movement of the interengaged portions of the lever and cover as hereinabove particularly pointed out so that there is presented a combination of coacting elements in a definite cooperation relation or combination adapted to produce a unitary result in vastly increasing the life of the whole'structure.

I claim as my invention 1. A receptacle equipped with a hinged cover and supporting legs at least one of the latter presenting an outwardly extending shoulder portion, a pair of downwardly extending arms at the hinged end of said cover, a stop member arranged to limit the opening movement of said cover, a substantially L- shaped lever presenting two upwardly extending arms engaged with the arms of said cover and pivotally secured at its elbow portions to the receptacle body, the middle portion of said lever disposed for engagement with the shoulder of said leg to limit its pivotal movement in one direction coincidentally with the attainment of the limit of opening movement of said cover, the interengaging portions of said arms of the cover and lever being arranged to cause the same to describe respective arcs intersecting each other at the points of limit of swing of said lever and cover.

2. A receptacle provided with a hinged cover, a pair of downwardly projecting arms on the latter adjacent the hinge thereof, an

outwardly extending projection on each of said arms, a pair of stud-shafts disposed on diainetrically opposite sides of the receptacle body at the bottom thereof, an operating lever engaged between its ends with said stud-shafts and having two arms each provided at its free end with a longitudinal slot in which one of said projections engages, the

normal point of engagement between said projections and said slots, with respect to the pivotal axes of said cover and lever being such that the arcs described by said projections and slot portions intersect each other i at two points during the initial opening movement of the cover, the said points of intersection of said arcs being in a` substantially horizontal plane, supporting legs on said receptacle body, one thereof equipped 3 with a stop formation, and a pedal formation in the middle portion of said lever coacting with said stop formation to limit the movei ment of said lever in one direction.

3. A receptacle provided with a hinged cover, a pair of downwardly projecting arms on the latter adjacent the hinge thereof, an outwardly extending projection on each of said arms, a pair of stud-shafts disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the receptacle body at the bottom thereof, an operating lever engaged between its ends with said stud-shafts and having two arms each pro vided at its free end with a longitudinal slot in which one of said projections engages, the normal point of engagement between said projections and said slots with respect to the pivotal axes of said cover and lever being such that the arcs described by said projections and slot portions intersect each other at two points during the primary opening movement of the cover through an arc of approxmately forty-five degrees, the said points of intersection of said arcs being in a substantially horizontal plane, supporting legs on said receptacle body, one thereof equipped with a stop formation, the middle portion of said lever coacting with said stop formation to limit the movementof said lever in one direction.

l. A receptacle equipped with supporting legs having outwardly extending lower end portions presenting inclined shoulders, a hinged cover equipped with downwardly and rearwardly extending arms adjacent the hinge-pivot thereof, a substantially L-shaped lever pivotally secured at its elbow portion to the receptacle at the bottom thereof and having sliding pivotal connection with the arms of the cover at one end, the other end of said'lever disposed for substantially vertical downward movement for effecting pivotal opening movement of said cover, one of said legs disposed with its shoulder portion in the path of and constituting a stop for limiting the pivotal movement of the said lever.

5. A receptacle equipped with supporting legs having outwardly extending lower end portions presenting inclined shoulders, a hinged cover equipped with downwardly and rearwardly extending arms adjacent the hinge-pivot thereof, a substantially L-shaped lever pivotally secured at its elbow portion to the receptacle at the bottom thereof and having sliding pivotal connection with the arms of the cover at one end, the other end of said lever disposed for substantially vertical downward movement for effecting pivotal opening movement of said cover, one of said legs disposed with its shoulder portion in the path of and constituting a stop for limiting the pivotal movement of the said lever, and coacting stop formations on the cover and receptacle for limiting the opening movement of the cover to coincide with the downward limit of movement of the last-mentioned end of said lever.

WALTHER EASTER. 

